Gary Boyne
Apollo House Occupation sticker
photo taken 06-04-2017
Sticker located on Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, Ireland
For four weeks in the winter of 2016-17 there was an occupation of an empty office block in Dublin city centre by anti-homelessness activists.
Eventually forced out by the High Court, the coalition of homeless people, housing activists, artists and trade-unionists was named Home Sweet Home.
In the middle of the worst homelessness crisis in the history of the Irish state Apollo House, like many buildings (because of the Recession of 2008) was empty.
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), had appointed the French bank BNP as receivers for Apollo House in Poolbeg Street. In December 2018 the site (with full planning permission for a 10-storey over-basement office building) sold for in excess of €50 million.
The Home Sweet Home campaign took over the empty Apollo House and repurposed it to accommodate homeless families.
With more than 4,000 people volunteering (along with donations of beds, furniture, kitchen equipment, and clothes) the aim was to provide a homeless shelter while simultaneously drawing public attention to the ever-worsening situation of 100’s of families sleeping in doorways.
www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/a-year-after-apoll...
- the IRISH TIMES reports on the Apollo House Occupation
Apollo House Occupation sticker
photo taken 06-04-2017
Sticker located on Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, Ireland
For four weeks in the winter of 2016-17 there was an occupation of an empty office block in Dublin city centre by anti-homelessness activists.
Eventually forced out by the High Court, the coalition of homeless people, housing activists, artists and trade-unionists was named Home Sweet Home.
In the middle of the worst homelessness crisis in the history of the Irish state Apollo House, like many buildings (because of the Recession of 2008) was empty.
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), had appointed the French bank BNP as receivers for Apollo House in Poolbeg Street. In December 2018 the site (with full planning permission for a 10-storey over-basement office building) sold for in excess of €50 million.
The Home Sweet Home campaign took over the empty Apollo House and repurposed it to accommodate homeless families.
With more than 4,000 people volunteering (along with donations of beds, furniture, kitchen equipment, and clothes) the aim was to provide a homeless shelter while simultaneously drawing public attention to the ever-worsening situation of 100’s of families sleeping in doorways.
www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/a-year-after-apoll...
- the IRISH TIMES reports on the Apollo House Occupation